


Are We Not Friends?

by OctarinePegacorn



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Disney - All Media Types, Disney Channel Original Movies - Fandom
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Canon Divergence, Dreaming, F/M, Flirting, Jealousy, Misunderstandings, Past Relationship(s), Rotten to the Core, Songfic, feeling a little misunderstood, like not a whole lot of awkwardness but eh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 14:06:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11738631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OctarinePegacorn/pseuds/OctarinePegacorn
Summary: Why do the baddest kids on the Isle wanna hang out with you all of a sudden?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Most of this was written before I watched the premiere of _Descendants 2_ so I didn't include Uma and the others. Be aware I've only watched the movies and _Wicked World_ so there might be some canon divergence. Can also be read on [DA](http://fav.me/dbj0sth), [Quotev](https://www.quotev.com/story/9916942/Are-We-Not-Friends-JayReader), and [Wattpad](https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/118817199-are-we-not-friends-jay-reader).

When the ruling class of Auradon banished the villains to the Isle of the Lost, most of the exiled did not have children. Yzma, former adviser to Emperor Kuzco, was one of the few who did. But she was the only one who also had grandchildren. Your grandmother Mazy, as multigenerational family-oriented as she was, did not want to choose between supporting her mother or her offspring. 

And that’s why four generations of [surname] were stuck on the Isle. You knew your mother never forgave your grandmother for ruining her children’s lives before they were old enough to understand the implications behind banishment. 

Yzma was grateful when her daughter uprooted the rest of the family in order to support her during the trials. But when Mazy doomed the rest of the lineage to the Isle all for her, the elderly matriarch could not comprehend why her own daughter would do something so stupidly loyal.

It was hard not to fantasize about what life would be like if you weren’t confined to the Isle. You didn’t even want to be part of the Auradonian elite. An average upbringing would have been satisfactory, you thought. Most of your peers seemed to believe that after three generations Yzma’s wickedness was diluted. In your eyes, they were at least partially correct. That particular trait seemed to skip a generation; you and your grandmother both lacked mean streaks.

And that’s why you were so confused as to why you were invited to hang out with the cool kids.

“Do you know how many cans of stolen spray paint we’ve been stockpiling for you?” asked Evie, exasperated. “We weren’t sure how many times you were going to mess up and now you don’t even _want_ to use them?”

“I actually almost got _caught_ ,” admitted Carlos, “more than once.” 

“Carlos, why would you be worried about being caught stealing?” 

“I don’t want to get beat up.”

“You guys steal stuff all the time. Well, Evie mostly steals hearts-” She beamed. “-not physical objects.” 

“I don’t want to get beat up.”

“But whoever did that would have to worry about retaliation from all four of you.”

“I still don’t want to get beat up.”

“So, if you run away in time, nobody wants to come knocking on your door, because Mrs. de Vil might answer?”

It was Carlos's turn to beam. “You’re good at connecting the dots.”

“Let’s focus on graffiti right now,” said Evie. 

“Should… Should my logo thingy be purple and black, though? I mean Mal already has those-”

“Yeah, but you also have turquoise.” 

“I dunno.” Turning towards her, you asked “Didn’t your mom change her purple to more of a blue so she and Maleficent wouldn’t match?”

“Yeah, because she’s the omega female,” Carlos explained. 

“What?” 

“My mom told me that dogs rove around in packs and there’s a hierarchy where-”

“ _Back to graffiti_ ,” she interrupted. “Mal uses a lot of green too, [name].”

You wondered if she did that to pay respect to the fact her mom’s skin was no longer that color. That was a subject you weren’t willing to bring up in front of the baddest girl on the Isle, though. Nor did you want any of your new friends to know how curious you were about their parents. Actually, just then, you weren’t well-acquainted with either Mal or Jay. They were going to be there soon and you were more nervous than you wanted to admit to the two younger members of their exclusive clique.  

“[name], if you want to pick different colors, no one’s stopping you.” 

Maleficent’s daughter and Jafar’s son had arrived. At first you thought your indecisiveness annoyed Mal but her smile looked friendly enough. There were traces of irritation in her tone but you weren’t sure if that was directed at you or had something to do with the fact that

“She’s early,” said Evie, surprised.  

“Yeah, Jay wanted to come here as soon as possible,” Mal explained as she strolled over.

“What,” Carlos teased him, “did you forget to bring flower-?”

Jay punched him in the arm and cast a quick glance over the three of you. You wondered who the lucky girl was. Evie was usually considered the prettiest of the two but Mal was, as you thought earlier, _the_ baddest girl on the Isle. It was also possible he and Carlos were already dating but the age gap and brotherly punch cast doubt on that.  

“Graffiti!” exclaimed Evie, clasping her hands. 

“Carlos uses yellow and I’ve never seen his mom wear anything besides black, red, and white,” said Jay. “Besides, Yzma is [name]’s _great_ -grandmother. Maybe she could use a new color scheme.”

Evie exchanged a look with Mal, whose smile faltered. Mal bit down on her lip and turned towards him.

“Jay, don’t you and Carlos have something to discuss _over there_?” she asked, using her chin to indicate a far corner.

His eyes flicked towards you before settling back on her. “Can you discuss it with us?”

You saw Carlos hang his head and sigh before clapping Jay on the back. They headed over to the other side of the room. 

“We’ll be right back,” said Mal pleasantly. This time her tone contrasted with how she walked towards the two boys.

[They say I’m trouble, they say I’m bad/They say I’m evil, that makes me glad/A dirty no-good, down to the bone/Your worst nightmare, can’t take me home/So I got some mischief, in my blood/Can you blame me? I never got no love/They think I’m callous, a lowlife hood/I feel so useless, misunderstood]

The five of you were planning on hanging out later at one of the warehouse markets. Presumably to loiter and/or commit other acts of delinquency. You were told everyone was going to meet up at Jafar’s store beforehand.  

When you got there you saw everyone minus Carlos leaning against the shop, engaged in discussion. Mal’s back and foot were propped against the wall while her head was turned towards Jay, who was between the two girls. His side was pressed against the building. There was a fairly wide berth between him and the Isle’s teen beauty queen. Evie was the only one standing properly so she saw you first and waved. Jay was the last to notice. As soon as Mal’s gaze flicked forward he stood up straight and stretched, biceps flexing. 

“Where’s Carlos?”

“His mom,” explained Evie, “dumped a heap of chores on him so he’ll come by later.”

“So we just wait here?”

“Yeah.”

You decided to stand on Mal’s unoccupied side. This was because as you were talking to Evie, the blue-haired girl had been walking diagonally over to you but stopped halfway.

She shot a nervous look to the gang’s de facto leader and Mal’s eyes widened, darting from Jay to you.

 _I wasn’t supposed to notice that_ , you thought. 

“Actually,” she spoke, “Evie and I’ll got to check up on Carlos. We’ll meet you guys there.”

“Why don’t all four of us go?”

“Because you don’t know Cruella very well yet. We might be able to convince her to free Carlos for the afternoon.”

“Oh, okay.”

They sped off in the direction of the de Vil residence, leaving you alone with Jay. To be honest, you were dreading a hazing ritual. If there even was one, the master thief would probably just have you steal something. But if Carlos wasn’t immune to the threat of getting his butt handed to him, you most certainly weren’t.  

You decided to initiate conversation in order to distract Jafar’s son, in case hazing _was_ on his mind. 

“I wonder if people in Auradon introduce themselves with ‘Hi, I’m the spawn of so-and-so’ like they do here.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Probably. I mean, even if we were born before our parents were banished we would still be here.” 

“Grandma Mazy actually came of her own free will. Not even Yzma wanted her to be stuck here.”

“Woah. And you’re not angry at her for that?”

That was a strange question coming from him, because socially he thrived on the Isle. Then you realized he probably thought you would have preferred Auradonian citizenship. He wasn’t entirely wrong.

“No, she was doing what she thought was right. My mom sure is, though.”

_Probably not sounding very villainous right now..._

The two of you walked without speaking through a few alleyways before he said something unexpected.

“[name], I want to apologize for what I said earlier.”

“What did you say earlier?”

He breathed out.

“When I said that maybe you could use a new color scheme. I didn’t mean it. I mean, I didn’t mean that your style was bad. You look good in everything I’ve seen you in.” 

“Thanks Jay, but I’m the only one whose family ‘bad guy’ is a _great_ -grandparent and I think that [surname] villainy skips a generation.”

Jay looked away and scoffed. “Well, _you_ might think that’s true but _I_ think you have the potential to be the baddest girl on the Isle.”

“A badder gal than Mal?” 

“...Maybe not Mal.” 

“Well, she is the alpha female.”

“What?” 

“It’s something Carlo- Never mind.”

“I think you have a wicked side,” he continued, stopping in his tracks. You followed suit. “And I’m not the only one. It’s why Evie befriended you in the first place.”

“That’s, uh, nice of you to say,” you said, wondering if your smile looked more like a smirk. “But if anyone else in my family has the disposition, it’s my mother. And the only villain she can’t bring herself to _completely_ loathe is Yzma.” 

“Usually when someone can’t take me home it’s _just_ because their parents are afraid of corruption.”

“One poisoned apple spoils the bunch?” you quipped. The skin around his eyes crinkled. 

“That’s good. Tell that to Evie.”

“It’s really not that clever.”

You resumed walking but he lulled behind. Not able to resist the temptation, you swiveled your neck around and almost jumped back when you saw him right behind you. The grin might have been smacked off his side if you _really_ were nasty. 

“Wow, trying to pickpocket the new kid.” 

“I know this face screams ‘trustworthy’ but one of my favorite things I’ve been called is ‘a dirty no-good, down to the _bone_ ’.”  

The way he said “bone” sent a shiver down your back one. 

Your mother was adamant about the virtues of inside pockets and keeping cash in one’s brassiere. It wouldn’t have bothered you if he had actually tried to pick your pockets. But you weren’t planning on telling him _that_.

A small, nervous giggle escaped. “Why are you like this?”

“What’d you mean?” he asked, grin widening. “I’m sure that, underneath the skin, you could be just as rot-”

“No, I mean… What’s with all the troublemaking?”

“My trouble or is all the trouble our fivesome causes included in your question?” 

You wrinkled your nose. “Don’t call us that. Is there actually a name for this club?”

It didn’t occur to you until later that he’d been so quick to include you. 

“Don’t call us _that_. And if we chose a name, it would look like we’re trying too hard.”

“Huh,” you smugly replied. Jay gave the answer to the unasked question “Do you care how cool you look?”

“‘Huh’ what? We’re villains.”

“What?”

“Hey, I answered your question: ‘Why are you like this?’ We’re villains. It’s how we were raised.” 

_And what everyone expects._

Later on, as you collapsed into a chair at home after outrunning some furious merchants, you wondered how many other Islanders shared your fantasy of a peaceful life in Auradon.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Descendants_ © Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott   
>  “Rotten to the Core” © Joacim Persson, Shelly Peiken, and Johann Alkenas


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See if you can spot the _Emperor's New Groove_ reference. I should have stated last chapter that there was an _Emperor's New School_ one.

[Mirror, mirror, on the wall/Who’s the baddest of them all?/Welcome to my wicked world/Wicked world]

There weren’t as many mirrors in Evie’s room as you expected. Seeing as the ones on the royal blue walls were rather small, it would not have surprised you if the Evil Ex-Queen hoarded all the larger, more ornately framed looking-glasses in her bedchamber. Or at least that’s what you thought until you saw the huge (but still mundane) one hanging next to her daughter’s bed.  

When Mal and Carlos stopped by your house earlier that day, you were afraid they were going to take you shoplifting again. But Mal pointed out your house was between hers and Evie’s, so why not invite you over on the way? 

“It’s not my house,” said Mal. “I can’t care if you come over and wreck everything.” 

“Surprise house party, huh?”

“She’s joking,” Carlos assured you. “Evie’s mom wouldn’t bother hiring someone to cut our hearts out; she’d do it herself.”

Mal, Carlos, and you were sitting with Evie on her bed when there was a knock on the door.

“That must be Jay,” she said, standing up. Mal quickly slapped the palm of her hand on Evie’s lower thigh. “Evie, you’re wearing heels. Let Carlos get it.”

As he headed downstairs, you observed that “For some of the worst villains’ kids, you sure look out for each other.” 

They shared a glance.

“What do you mean by ‘worst’?” Maleficent’s daughter demanded, although you got the feeling that your observation wasn’t the reason for that response. 

“Well, Queen Grimhilde was basically just jealous of her stepdaughter and didn’t even want to get rid of Snow White herself. Your mom was, well, also jealous. Basically because she didn’t get invited to a party. As for Mrs. de Vil, she was just a little too into a type of fashion that… just happened to involve animal cruelty.”

“What about Jay’s dad?”

“Yes,” a new voice chimed in, “what about Jafar?”

Evie’s mother was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed and expression near impossible to read. 

“Are you going to read him and me? Or have you done us already?” 

“What part did you walk in on?”

“‘Basically because she didn’t get invited to a party.’” 

_I should be thankful she didn’t creep in here earlier._

“Well, out of our-” You made V with your hand, which you used to point at your friends. “-family villains, I’d say you, Jafar, and Yzma had the best goal: power. Evie-” You kept your hand up but closed the gap between the two fingers so you were no longer pointing at Mal. “-was supposed to take Snow’s place but you probably didn’t even want to get pregnant until the original heir to the throne was out of the way. It would have aroused suspicion.” 

The former monarch looked extremely flattered. She was still a proud beauty but you guessed very few people had taken her for diabolically shrewd in recent years. 

You weren’t really sure what to make of Grimhilde. But you weren’t about to openly insult someone who was willing to send an assassin after an innocent maiden.

“Well, is that all you have to say about us?” she asked, which you hadn’t suspected. _Am I coming across as too nice?_

“Well, Jafar did like power, whether it was over a sultanate or a sultan’s daughter.”

“He no longer chases after teenagers,” she announced, tossing her gaze to the side. “His taste in females has matured.” Her eyes focused back on you. “They’re all in their early twenties now.” 

Choking down a laugh, you continued on. It was easy to crack jokes about Yzma, having lived with her your whole life.

“What about me? Or would you rather continue to insult your own great grandparent than-?”

“This might sound hard to believe, but anything that _can_ be said about you has probably _already_ been said,” fell out of your mouth without much thought. “How many decades have the original villains been on the Isle of the Lost?”

Her mouth popped open. For a split second you considered pushing her out of the doorway and making a break for it. Then came the chortling. 

“It’s really not that clever.” 

“You are _brutal_ , [given name] [surname]. I didn’t even feel the need to bring up Yzma, much less drag her. 

“Evie-” Upon hearing her name the would-be princess sat up straight, aware of how poor her posture had been. “-you have spinach stuck between your teeth.”

Her daughter daintily slipped off the bed and walked over to a chest, where a surplus of beauty and hygiene products were kept. As soon as she got the thread out she began flossing in front of the closest mirror.

“And take a leaf out of [name]’s book regarding wit. You can only go so far if you didn’t inherit as much of my looks as I’d hoped.”

“Oh, but she did.” Her mother looked at you curiously. “Her father still has his.” 

This time almost Grimhilde’s face actually lit up. Instead of continuing the banter, she swept out of the room. But as she did so, you saw her place a thumb and pointer finger on the sides of her mouth and pull down, as if she were trying to kill her smile.  

“Laugh lines…” you heard her offspring mutter, once the footsteps had faded.

“Wow,” said Mal. “I honestly thought the Queen was going to have a meltdown.”

“Did… Did she hear what I said befor-?”

“Even if she did,” interrupted Evie, “she thought you were hilarious.”

“Probably because not a lot of people are stupid enough to do what I just did. She tells Yzma, I’ll probably get turned into some sort of pack animal.” In response to their giggles, you added “You  
think I’m joking.”   
***  
You weren’t sure where you were but you didn’t feel alarmed. Blinking the sleep out of your eyes, you sat up. 

_Cruella and Grimhilde have vanity in common. Anyone on the Isle can see why their friendship began. But the story of Maleficent’s downfall shares a key archetype with the tale of Grimholde’s doom._

_What a weird thought. What a weird dream._

“You fell asleep, [name],” Evie said softly. 

You stretched and twisted your torso from side to side. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Jay casually sitting next to you on the bed. The former queen’s daughter was back in her spot but Mal was leaning against a wall, posing the same way she had outside Jafar’s shop. Carlos was standing in the doorway, looking a little unnerved.

“I thought your mom was in here.”

“She was.”

“She marched Carlos up the steps because Jay thought it would be funny to ding dong ditch half a dozen times,” explained Mal.  

“Come on, I only did it three times.”

“She thought I was the one ringing because she walked up as soon I turned around to go back inside,” said Carlos, his expression no longer sheepish. “She yelled at me.” 

“I was just about to press it the fourth time but I saw her through the window and I didn’t want her to know it was me.”

Your face broke into a grin. “Did she leave the door unlocked and you just snuck upstairs?” 

“Nah. I didn’t even check to see if it was locked,” Jay answered proudly. “I climbed up through the window.” 

Turning towards Mal, you asked “How long was I out?” 

“Oh, I dunno. I didn’t even notice you were asleep until you woke up just now and Evie pointed it out.” 

“Did you dream about anything else besides Evie’s mom?” 

“Like what?”

“Oh, anyone here.” His lips quirked and he shrugged. 

“Maybe you should take a nap, Jay,” Mal teased. “If you want someone here to dream about villainesses.” 

“If you insist.”

Jay laid down next to you on the bed. If you hadn’t sat up, you would have been the big spoon. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling until you spoke again. His gaze almost melted into yours but you turned towards Evie too quickly, not on purpose. 

“Did I deliver devastating insults directed at your mother, which she thought were really clever?”

“ _No_.” Your friend was trying not to laugh too hard. “She would pick up that mirror-” Evie indicated the large one. “-and bash it over your head if you did that.” 

“Jay.” 

As soon as his name left your lips he rose up, some of his long hair spilling over shoulders. 

“Yeah?”

“How did you know I was actually dreaming about Evie’s mom?”

 _Her voice must have crept into my subconsciousness._

“You sleeptalk.” 

He bit down on his lip when your eyes widened. “Oh, that’s why Mal didn’t know I was sleeping.”

“I actually didn’t hear her at all.”

“Me neither,” added Evie. 

“Either you must speak really softly,” continued Mal, “or Jay must have _really been paying attention_. Or maybe I’m just not that observant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part where the Evil Queen is being "read" is a reference to _RuPaul's Drag Race_ because I watched it for the first time this year. I didn't know the format of the show, so I was wondering if Lady Gaga was going to be judging all of season nine. She wasn't, but the second episode had The B-52s and I decided to watch the whole season. Looking back, the exchange between the reader and Grimhilde would have been better if I added Ursula, because she's actually based off the drag queen Divine.


	3. Chapter 3

[I’m rotten to the core, core/Rotten to the core/I’m rotten to the core, core/Who could ask for more?/I’m nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door/I’m rotten to the core/I’m rotten to the, I’m rotten to the core]

You kept thinking back to the conversation about your somniloquy. Maybe because you were too sleepy right before and after your nap to remember much of anything else from your afternoon at Evie’s. 

_“...Jay must have_ really been paying attention. _Or maybe I’m just not that observant.”_

The way Mal emphasized “really been paying attention” gnawed at you. And the way she claimed she was “not that observant” made you wonder how self-aware she’d been at that moment. 

_Was she mocking me?_

That’s not how it had sounded to you, but…

_“I actually didn’t hear her sleep talking at all.”_

You knew you were probably overthinking. 

_But she said “her” instead of “you”._

Had she actually heard you? Was she pretending she hadn’t in order to sound dismissive? 

_Oh well, even if it does turn out Mal doesn’t like me, I know Evie… is her best friend. Is she afraid I’m trying to replace her?_

It was flattering to think that Mal of all people could feel threatened by you but anyone related to Maleficent was not an enemy you wanted. 

Again you thought of her and Grimhilde’s bond over a couple of teenage girls each one had put to sleep. Considering the fact that you had been drowsy when you arrived, no one on the Isle could practice magic, and you hadn’t been offered (or stolen) any refreshments, you were sure your light slumber was natural.   
***  
“So, who did you chill with before you started hanging out with us?”

“Jay, I didn’t abandon any of my friends just so I spend time with you guys.” 

“ _Okay_ , who do you hang out with when you’re not with us? Like… Who do we steal you away from?”

You gave him an exaggerated frown and he shrugged back at you, lips quirked upward. Being (intentionally or not) as un-Yzma-like as you were did not win you as much respect as you would have liked. And you told him so.

“I’m just not the antagonizing type. Anywhere else I’m sure that’d be a good foundation for friendship but not on the Isle of the Lost. I have a few buddies here and there.”

His expression turned neutral and he looked away for a few moments. When he turned back, the sympathetic expression caught you off guard. 

“You really would have preferred a life in Auradon, huh?”

“This is basically a prison colony, Jay.” 

Your feet really wanted to dangle off the edge of that roof but you weren’t sure if the thief’s hands were sticky enough to save you if you went sliding. 

“When I first talked to you one-on-one I wondered if you really felt like an outsider here.” 

_The Isle of Misfit Boys… and Girl(s)_ slithered into your head, making you realize that your thoughts as of late were pretty “deep” sounding but ultimately enigmatic.

“Yeah, I’ve… wondered how things would be different if it was two generations of [surname] confined here, not four.”

“You know, you didn’t tell me who else you hang out with.”

“My boyfriend-”

“Boyfriend.”

He said it like he couldn’t believe it. There were two thoughts that could be circulating in his mind at that moment. The one you dreaded was that Jay did not think you were capable of landing a man. The other…

“Well, we’re not together anymore.” You sighed. “Malcolm, Madam Mim’s son.”

“He’s her _son_? I always thought he was her grandson.”

“Or great grandson?” you joked. “No, she used to be able to transform into a younger version of herself.”

“For nine months straight, apparently,” said Jay, wincing slightly. “Magic is banned on the Isle. Was she pregnant when she came here?” 

“She was, but with one of his older siblings. The... heroes were kind enough to let her keep her youthful form.” You shrugged. “Mim got a second chance.”

There was a long lull in the conversation as Jay seemed to drink all that information in.

“I was honestly so scared Malcolm was a lot older than he looked.”

“Oh my- _Jay_. Jay, _no_.”

He burst out laughing but you only chuckled a little, feigning embarrassment by hiding your face behind your hands. 

“That’s what I was worried about. How can I compete with a hot older-but-baby-faced guy?” Your heart seemed to miss a beat. “He’d get most of the girls.” Jay pretended to look thoughtful. “And maybe their moms, too.” 

“You think he’s attractive?”

“What?” The thief looked like he was trying to think of an insult for your ex but realized that would trash your taste. “No. You two must have made a cute couple, though.”

 _If he doesn’t find Malcolm attractive, then what makes us ‘cu-’? Oh._ Oh _._

You drew yourself up a bit and nonchalantly rolled your shoulders back. 

“Do you really see him as… competition?”

Jay straightened up as well. If there had been a wall on top of the building, he would have leaned against it. 

“No.”

_You’re not the boy next door, Jay._

Your former paramour, however, totally was. (Or would have been if he was a little less boring.) Whereas Jay was the bad boy type and didn’t even have to say it out loud. 

“Come on,” he said, tilting his head to the side and giving you a wink. “They finally came. Let’s go down.”

Looking below, you saw Mal waiting with a blank expression and hands on her hips.  

[Call me a schemer, call me a freak/How can you say that?/I’m just, unique/What, me a traitor?/  
Ain’t got your back?/Are we not friends?/What’s up with that?/So I’m a misfit, so I’m a flirt/I broke your heart?/I made you hurt?/The past is past/Forgive, forget/The truth is/You ain’t seen nothing yet]

It was hard to act like nothing was bothering you while chatting with Carlos and Evie. Jay and Mal were lagging behind and, as nonchalant as they wished they looked, they were obviously having a discussion about a very pressing matter. 

Eventually you tried to sneak a glance over to the quarreling duo. It wasn’t until you realized that you’d stopped walking completely that you also chanced a glance to each side. Carlos stared at you, his mouth parted slightly, before looking away. Evie was biting down on her lip. But neither looked surprised. You looked back and the other two paused mid-sentence, eyes darting towards you. It took a few seconds for everyone to properly compose themselves.

“How much did you hear?” Mal politely demanded, voice raised. Jay winced. 

“None of it. You’re too far back.”     

“Oh.” 

You turned to face them. “Is something going on?” 

“ _No_ ,” they replied at the same time. Maleficent’s spawn spoke next.

“No, no, of course n-”

“Kind of.” 

Mal’s expression turned blank again before exasperation took over. She glared at Jay. 

“This hasn’t been some kind of prank, has it?” came tumbling from your lips. “Like-”

“Prank?” Evie asked, confused. 

Carlos gawked at you and turned to whisper something in the ear of Evie, who was looking even more uneasy. 

“Can you not keep secrets from me _in front of me_?” 

Your face was starting to feel the burn. That sentence came out sounding meaner than you wanted. Previous interactions with the group played in your head. 

_“What, did you forget to get flower-?”_

_“Because you don’t know Cruella very well yet. We might be able to convince her to free Carlos for the afternoon.” “Oh, okay.”_

_“You look good in everything I’ve seen you in.”_

_“Well,_ you _might think that’s true but_ I _think you have the potential to be the baddest girl on the Isle.” “A badder gal than Mal?” “...Maybe not Mal.”_

Your lips parted before you clamped your mouth shut and swallowed. They were definitely keeping a secret and you had an idea of what it might be. Jay was just staring at you but the other three were glancing around at each other. 

“[name],” he said, suddenly. “I know you feel like you’re an outsider. Like you would fit in better on Auradon. But-”

Your conflicting feelings about the Isle weren’t something you wanted brought up in front of the others when they clearly thought you were so vulnerable and paranoid. _Why_ did he even bring it up?  

Mal raised her hand up to shush him. “What are you talking about? [name] _wants to go to Auradon?_ ”

You stared down at the ground before looking Jay in the eye.

“Why would you betray me like that? I thought... I thought-”

“She thought,” said the purple-haired bitch, “that you wanted to be more than just friends.”  

“Yeah,” said your crush, “friends with benefits, maybe.” 

“ _[name]_ , he flirts with everyone.

“You’re not special.”  
***  
“I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam~”

“ _Turn that down!_ ” shrieked Maleficent. You complied, surprised she was able to hear the soft song across the house. Her nasally voice was never really talked about but if she wasn’t so, well, malefic, it would have been kind of endearing. 

Mal loudly apologized to her mother before turning to do the same to you, albeit quieter. 

“It’s okay. Where did you get that CD?”

“Oh, Evie let me borrow it. Can you believe it only came out two years ago?”

While no one on the Isle was in danger of going to bed hungry or being forced to wear unflattering clothing (except of their own volition), items like CDs were smuggled and sold on the down low. They were treated as awfully luxurious by whoever was in charge of exportation in Auradon. Top 100-wise, the Isle of the Lost was roughly five years behind. 

“I had a dream last night.” 

“Oh, what was it about?”

The part where you were talking to Jay one-on-one had been real. So was the part where the others showed up. Your subconscious felt the need to flashback to that conversation and then tack on a twisted version of what followed. 

Jay and Mal were briefly talking about _something_ behind you but their tones weren’t overtly suspicious enough for you to really care at the time. 

“Like something out of a bad… I dunno. It was just really clichéd.” You forced yourself to chuckle. “Or at least the general gist of it was. Do you have any interesting dreams?”

“Nah. Or at least none I remember.” 

There was a pause as you struggled to come up with a response suitable for the conversation. Actually mentioning what happened in your dream, either part, was off the table. 

“I used to have a dream diary,” offered Mal.

“Really?” you replied, careful to inject the right amount of artificial enthusiasm. “What happened?”

“My mom confiscated it. Then burnt it. I don’t think she even bothered looking through it.” 

She quirked her eyebrows before ejecting the CD from the silent radio.

_Didn’t want anymore dreamers in her life. Wonder if Jay likes dreamers… What’s his type, anyway?_

_I’ll have to find out._

A very small smile slipped out, which Mal seemed to accept as nervous sympathy for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I thought Lana Del Rey's cover of "Once upon a Dream" was just from _Maleficent_ 's soundtrack but apparently it was used in _The Great Gatsby_ , which came out in 2013. 
> 
> "Once upon a Dream" © Sammy Fain and Jack Lawrence


	4. Chapter 4

**Note:** Songfic for [Rotten to the Core](https://youtu.be/zGlLe1w3DJM) from _Descendants_. Read part one [here](http://fav.me/dbj0sth).

Weirdly enough, Jay brought up your lust for Auradonian life the very next day. 

“Hey, I want to apologize… again.”

That statement puzzled you, but didn’t make you feel nervous. You were too elated to be spending time with him to really feel any negative emotion. 

“For what?”

“For revealing your... fascination with Auradon.” 

You almost dropped the phial you were examining. That would have been terrifying. You were in his father’s junk shop and while the owner wasn’t there at the moment, your oneiric exchange with the Evil Queen was fresh in your mind. But the latest dream was a more pressing concern. 

_That was a_ dream _. I was_ positive _it was just a dream._

“I only told Carlos, though.” Jay smiled, looking down. “He said the reason you’re unsatisfied is because you’re an omega female.” He frowned slightly before looking back at you. “I’m still not entirely sure what that means, or if he even wanted me to tell you that.”

“Heh heh.” Your face felt like it was being boiled. _What kind of laugh was_ that _?_  “We would both be nobility.”

“What?” 

Refusing to feel mortified, you pushed on.

“If we lived in Auradon. I mean, Yzma was the advisor to an emperor and your dad was a sultan’s grand vizier.” 

He looked surprised. “Huh. Not many people know that. I thought you were going to say he was just an advisor, too.”

An awkward grin graced your face. The awkwardness was so cloying, you almost felt like you could choke on it. The conversation, at least on your part, followed suit but Jay didn’t act like he cared or even noticed. Somehow the subject turned to names. 

“So Carlos is the only one whose name isn’t directly descended from a parent’s?”

“Besides the ‘C’, yeah.” Jay stretched and you enjoyed the gentle rise of his chest. “My dad used to get so annoyed when other people assumed that he literally just named me the first letter of his name.”

“Even he’s not _that_ cruel.” You let out an amused sigh. “I guess it’s easy to see why Evie and Mal were, uh, christened as they are.”

“Maleficent Jr. and her best friend, the girl who was named after her mother’s title.”

“Oh, so ‘Mal’ is a nickname.”

“Yeah, _her_ mom’s not cruel enough to just give her a bland three-letter name.” 

“ _Aw_ ,” you giggled before subtly clearing your throat. “Speaking of cruelty, imagine if your BFF was Cruello de Vil.”

“Oh _my badness!_ ”

More giggles escaped your mouth as Jay threw his fingerless gloved hands in the air.

“Wait, ‘Cruella’ is ‘cruel’ plus _puella_ [girl].”

“ _Puer_ [boy]... So we would be friends with Cruer de Vil. I like ‘Cruello’ better.”

While every Islander knew that Auradon Prep was out of the School of the Lost’s league (and dozens of leagues above it, according to Ursula), there was one subject villain kids could drastically outscore Auradonians on on standardized tests: Latin. Many a villain lacked the makings of an educator, and for obvious reasons the school had to be kept secular, but Claude Frollo was more than willing to teach Latin both Classical and Ecclesiastical. Considering his reputation, you didn’t understand why parents let him be a teacher. Then again, Esmeralda’s thiccness was legendary. It was probably hard for Frollo to find anyone to compare to his last obsession.   

“You told me that Carlos gets stressed out every year planning Cruella’s birthday dinner. Perhaps he can make ‘Cruello’, cruel jello.” 

“What makes the gelatin so cruel?”

“At least one animal had to die. That’ll please her.” 

“Oh, _right_. That’s most gelatin.”

[Mirror, mirror, on the wall/Who’s the baddest of them all?/Welcome to my wicked world/Wicked world]

As great as your tête-à-tête with your crush initially went, nothing explicitly romantic was said. Especially disappointing was how long the conversation dwelled on Mal. Sure, you were the one who brought her up (again, somehow), but you were planning on steering the conversation onto Jay. Unfortunately, Jafar got home early and he had plenty of domestic tasks lined up for his son. 

The next casual hangout session was later that day with the two other female members of your gang. You sat facing Evie’s bed frame, hands clasped so tightly in your lap because you were afraid you were going to cover your face with them if they weren’t. You kept your expression as neutral as possible, knowing that any smile you produced wouldn’t fool anyone there. 

Why _did I bring her up?_

 _“Well,_ you _might think that’s true but_ I _think you have the potential to be the baddest girl on the Isle.”_

Maybe, you thought, you were trying to subconsciously emulate her. Your hands by then were splayed out, gripping Evie’s satin sheets. 

“Mal,” you called out, painfully aware of how desperate you sounded. 

“Yeah?” 

“You don’t like Jay, do you?”

A few seconds went by where you were just gawked at while staring hard into the looking-glass, your teeth accidentally scraping your bottom lip.

“ _Nonono_ -”

“No!” Evie added.

“- _no_ ,” Mal seemed to finish before launching into her next denial. “He’s totally-”

The mirror alerted you to the fact that Jay was standing just outside the doorway. You were terrified that his heart was being crushed. The dryness of your eyes didn’t stop your lips from quivering. 

“-not my type.”

“ _Why?_ ” Your mouth was on autoplay. It was like there was nothing to strain out your thoughts before they were vocalized. “Why isn’-?”

“Just… all the thievery. Total turn-off. I mean, that’s just a personal turn-off. For me. _He’s great for others, though._ ”

 _...Jay_ bad _enough for you?_ was what you going to say. 

“But you steal,” you stated, confused.

“ _But…_ ” she drew the word out. The next thing she said sounded like it was supposed to put an end to the subject. “I don’t like it when guys do it.” 

“That’s kind of a double standard.”

The lack of discussion that followed was almost overwhelming. You glumly wondered if your crush thought that you saw him before asking Mal that question. 

“Hey Jay,” Evie finally mumbled.

There was another, shorter silence. Through this one, you were able to gather your thoughts. Enough of them to form a complete revelation.

“Were you guys hanging out with me because you honestly liked my company or are you just trying to get Jay laid?” 

A frequently spoken phrase of Yzma’s resonated in your thoughts. _You lack a mean streak but no one can call you naive._

 _Everyone can call me naive_ , you corrected, posture slumping. “I should have had this epiphany sooner.” You thought back to the dream. If they weren’t watching, you would have pinched yourself to see if you were still dreaming. 

“I wasn’t trying to just-” 

You lifted your gaze from the floor when you felt two hands half-grip, half-rest on your shoulders. His own gaze was hard not to melt under but you wanted to hear more from Jay first. He was a player  
but he'd never seemed boorish about it.

“You don’t like to lead girls on. So why was it different this time? Why was it different for me?”

“I like you. For a long time I’ve _liked_ you. But I didn’t think you would be interested. That’s why I didn’t ask you out right away.”

[I’m rotten to the core, core/Rotten to the core/I’m rotten to the core, core/Who could ask for more?/I’m nothing like the kid next, like the kid next door/I’m rotten to the core/I’m rotten to the, I’m rotten to the core] 

His sincere tone was soothing. Maybe there was something more to him when you peeled back the skin...

“When we left _you two_ alone  together,” Mal promised, “we weren’t leaving _you alone_ with  him.”  

“We are not wingmen,” sighed Evie quietly. 

“We’ll give you guys some privacy now.”

The closing door hit your outstretched foot. Evie, who was about to follow her friend out of the room, gave you a confused look.

“Mal,” you whispered, realizing something else. 

“Yeah?”  
***  
“Jay, don’t you and Carlos have something to discuss _over there_?” she asked, using her chin to indicate a far corner.

His eyes flicked towards you before settling back on her. “Can you discuss it with us?”  
***  
“Either you must speak really softly,” continued Mal, “or Jay must have _really been paying attention_.”  
***  
“ _Thank you_.”  

Once the door gently shut, Jay closed his eyes and loosened his already slack hold on you. You were about to place your hands on his shoulders when he looked at you again.  

“Didn’t you notice,” he pleaded, “all those times I tried to get to know you better?” 

“No one as good looking as you should be acting this desperate to get laid,” slithered out of your mouth. 

You could almost hear the _crack_ in your heart (or was it his?) as hurt pooled in his eyes. His touch reluctantly slid off your shoulders. 

“That’s how I know you’re looking for more than that.”

Your hand pressed against his chest, right in front of his heart, the same time your lips took his. Both of your mouths were closed and he didn’t immediately place his hands back on you, but Jay was eager to reciprocate the kiss. You realized how awkward it must feel for him to have one of your splayed out fingers indirectly touching his nipple. 

“No,” Jay said, moving his mouth the shortest distance possible away from yours. “I want you to touch me...” 

This time you pressed both of your hands against his chest and bit down on your lip, giddy about how husky your actions had made his voice. He returned your smile and gave you a peck on the cheek. 

“Why did you need your friends’ help? You could have just come to me on your own.”

“Because I realized none of my relationships had been serious. None of them” He shook his head, some of his tresses falling over his shoulder. “I saw you talking to Evie one day and I asked her about you afterward and she said she’d play Cupid...”

“Evie?”

 _Huh. I’m going to have to thank her._

“I mean...” he explained, letting out a self-conscious chuckle. “I thought you were cute before but I didn’t know anything about you. I didn’t know how to approach you. When she convinced you to hang out with us the first time, it was _way_ more awkward than I thought it would be. And I thought you weren’t interested because you didn’t seem to be, uh-” Another nervous laugh. “-picking up what I was laying down…

You weren’t really sure how to respond so you decided it was his turn for a kiss on the cheek. He breathed out, blissful, before continuing. 

“Actually, I lied. One thing I knew about you was that you broke up with Malcolm-”

Now that was a statement worthy of an eyebrow raise. How your last romance ended should have been an enigma to all others. Your ex was good at not kissing and telling, and his secret keeping extended to who broke whose heart. The fact that Jay assumed you ended the relationship was pretty flattering. 

“-but when I asked you who did you hang out with and you said ‘my boyfriend’-”

“What?” you teased. “You thought I was quick to get reboun-?”

Another kiss found your lips before you could finish that sentence. More followed until you remembered where you were. You pulled away and placed your hand in his. The gentle squeeze he gave you made you want to lock the door and check the nightstand to see if Evie had as much fun with the boys as you thought she did. 

_No._

“I owe Evie a thank you.”

_Her, and let’s not forget Carlos._

To your surprise, all three of them were waiting in the hall. It didn’t seem like a conversation had been interrupted by your arrival. 

“How much did you hear?”

“Evie’s dropping.” Jay pointed at the girl closest to the door as he pulled you past the doorway. Your face felt like it was being boiled again. Evie swatted at him before grinning at you. You felt a little guilty for even considering locking your matchmaker out of her bedroom. 

Later, you told Jay about those thoughts. It was already established you wanted to get to know each other more before you two took the next step. He pulled you closer and leaned down to whisper in your ear. 

“I’m _corrupting_ you.” To be honest, you kind of liked that idea. “Mal deserves a big thanks, too.”

“I know. Carlos, too.”

“Yeah, but Mal wasn’t afraid to call me out.” He laughed. “She just looked completely done when we were on the rooftop and I wimped out on asking you out. And then we were arguing about it while you were blissfully unaware, talking to Carlos and Evie.” 

You shot him a smirk. “Do you still think I couldn't be, uh, badder than her?”

“Hmm,” he mumbled, plopping a kiss on your temple. “Probably not, but as all the bad boy you’ll ever need-” That made you giggle. “-I like you just fine as the girl-next-door. Maybe there’s some wickedness under the surface,” he went on, pulling you close. “It’s all good.”

_Maybe you ain’t seen nothing yet. Maybe I’ll show you the duality of [name], if it’s there._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember Troper Tales? Someone wrote about how Cruella scared them so badly as a kid, their parents came up with a good sister named “Nicella de Swell”. My dad would not have done something like that. When I was five or six he would be like “Maxime, don’t go too close to the geese. That’s how we lost [insert feminine name here].” “Who?” “Your older sister.”


End file.
